Stacking filled envelopes for packaging



July 22, 1969 HELMS 3,456,423

STACKING FILLED ENVFIAOPEIS FOR PACKAGING Filed May 5. 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1E ffZmd ZyM July 22, 1969 J. HELMS 3,456,423

STACKING FILLED ENVELOPES FOR PACKAGING Filed May 5, 1967 3 Sheets-$heet :2

July 22, 1969 J. HELMS STACKING FILLED ENVELOPES FOR PACKAGING 3 Sheets-Shem 5 Filed May 5, 1967 United States Patent ()1 ice 3,456,423 Patented July 22, 1969 3,456,423 STACKING FILLED ENVELOPES FOR PACKAGING Jan Helms, Sterling, Mass., assignor to General Packets, Inc., Hopkinton, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed May 5, 1967, Ser. No. 636,484 Int. Cl. 1365b 35/58, 39/00 US. Cl. 53-143 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a machine for stacking packets, bags, envelopes, etc., containing powdered or granulated material in an upright open-top stacker including means for transferring the filled packets one-by-one from an advancing filling line and depositing the same in the stacker so that the operator may box them when required number has been stacked by placing an open inverted box over the stacker and causing the stack to be raised. The transferring means includes a head or the like which has a motion taking packets from the advancing line to the stacker, and returning for the next packet or envelope, each packet being rotated 180 so that they are arranged in the stack alternately with corresponding edges alternately arranged in opposite positions.

The purpose of this arrangement is to provide for even stacking of the packets or envelopes even though the powdered or granular material may tend to be accumulated in a certain area, i.e., at the bottom, as the packets proceed in line from a filling machine, and by the present invention it will be seen that automatic means are provided for stacking the filled envelopes in a level manner.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which: 1

FIG. 1 is a plan view generally indicating the transfer head in relation to theadvancing line of filled bags;-

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation looking in the direction of the arrows 2 in FIG. 1; i

FIG. 3 is a view in elevation partly in section looking in the direction of arrows 3 in FIG. '2;

FIG. 4 is a view in side elevation partly in section illustrating the transfer head and the mechanism for operating the same;

FIG. 5 is a section through the control for the suction head;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation looking in the direction o arrow 6 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the table and stackers, and

FIG. 8 is a side elevation looking in the direction of arrow 8 in FIG. 7.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown a chain or other conveyor indicated at 10. This chain carries with it a series of brackets or the like 12, 12 upon which are mounted clamps which may utilize spring devices or the like 14 to grasp and hold a packet or envelope indicated at 16, this packet or envelope having a top closed edge or the like 18 through which the same has previously been filled, and it is to be understood that the conveyor 10 carries these envelopes one-by-one past the stacking station which is located in fixed relation to the filling line.

As the packets or envelopes proceed to the right, FIG. 1, they are abstracted from this line of. advance by a vacuum head or the like 30 having a pair of suction cups 32 supplied as by a hose or the like 34. The hose 34 is provided with an automatic valve 35 which supplies pressure or obviates it in timed relationship so that in the FIG. 1 position the envelope 16 is held by the suction head 30 as the spring 14 and bracket 12, etc. pass on to the right. The hose 34 is connected in any way desired as for instance by means of a block 36 which has a passage 38 connected to another passage 39 for supplying the cups 32 with the necessary vacuum or lack of vacuum.

The passage 39 is conveniently located in an oscillating or rotating rod generally indicated at 40 and this is held by a bracket 43. A valve best seen in FIG. 5 is in this case, e.g., air operated by an automatic valve to oscillate rod 40 and head 30 at appropriate intervals for the purpose of reversing the filled envelopes alternately end-toend as they are applied to a stacking arrangement shown in FIG. 4 at 44.

There are preferably a series of these stackers 44 arranged on a rotary table 46. These stackers comprise essentially a series of vertical open-top guideways which receive the envelopes one-by-one from the head, the envelopes being received in the top of the stacker and gradually being lowered onto a table 48. This table 48 is provided with a power means such as a cylinder and piston at 50 to eject a stack of the packets or envelopes once they have been boxed as will be described hereinafter.

The rod oscillating valve is generally indicated -at-51 and it is mounted on the rod, FIG. 4. This valve is a reversing valve energized by pressure in either of two alternately energized pipes 52. Inside the valve 51 there is an oscillating member 54, which is fixed to rod 40 and oscillates it, member 54 turning from an upright position as seen in FIG. 5 to an opposite 180 turned position. The air passages at 56 and 58 control the position of the member 54 and they are alternately energized as by an automatic valve operated in timed relation to the rest of the machine in order to oscillate rod 40 each time a packet or envelope is abstracted from the advancing line, seen in FIG. 1, so that as the packets are deposited in the stacker 44 they are inverted and thus reversely oriented alternately.

The reason for this inversion of alternate bags is perhaps best shown in FIG. 3. Because of the fact that the bags are filled upright, the powdered or granulated material is apt to gather in the bottom of the bag as is indicated at 60 in FIG. 3. If the bags are stacked with the lower ends aligned, the stack will of course become slanted and difficult to box, besides requiring a larger box.

FIG. 4 illustrates the mechanism for transferring the bags from the line of advance where they are held by spring clips 14, to the stacking construction 44. The bracket 42 is part of a floating arm 62 which is thereby secured in generally fixed relation to the rod 40 and therefore to the head 30. Arm 62 is mounted as by a swinging pivot at 66 at the end of an adjustable link 68. The link 68 and the arm 62 move between extreme solid line and dotted line positions. The solid lines show the parts presenting the head 30 to the bag 16, and the dotted line position shows the bag as it is deposited in a vertical guide in the stacker 44.

This action is accomplished through a power member 70 pivoted in a fixed relationship at 72 to any convenient frame part, to be oscillated between the solid and dotted line positions (FIG. 4) by means of an oscillatory link 74 under influence of a rod 76 vertically reciprocated by means of a cam 78. This cam may be rotated by a constantly rotating shaft 80 driven by any power means d esired.

The lever 70 is provided with a slot at 82 in which is a pin 84 connecting to the lever 62, the slot being provided to allow an adjustment between the parts as controlled by the link 68. The link 68 is adjustable lengthwise by a nut 86, and is pivoted in adjustable relation in slot 88 to a fixed support or abutment 90.

As the lever 70 moves in a clockwise direction from its dotted line position, it moves lever 62 bodily as constrained by the link 68, to sweep the rod 40 in a counterclockwise direction in'to horizontal position shown in solid lines, approaching and contacting bag 16. As the head 30 approaches envelope 16, the vacuum through the line 34 is established and the envelope is attached with respect to the suction device or cup at 32. Then the lever 70 is moved in a counterclockwise direction and the reverse operation takes place. During the return of the head 30 to the stacker, the valve 50- causes the head to oscillate 180 every other stroke, so that the bags or 'envelops are arranged alternately with the lower edge in different directions. Thus the irregular shaped bags are neatly and evenly stacked.

Table 46 is indexed so that as a full complement of packets or bags is arranged on a table or plunger 48, an empty stacker guide is located in position to receive the packets. An empty open top box 90 is inverted over the filled stacker guide, now not in the path of head 30. The operator act-uates a control for cylinder 50 and the packets are lifted into the box, and the filled box is raised to clear the stacker guide. The operator then grasps the box bottom and stack of packets, removes same from the stacker, folds in and cements the flaps 92, and sets the box on a carry-off conveyor. A boss or the like plug 94 is used to exert friction on rod 96 lifting table 48, tending to even out its step-by-step descent, as the packets are positioned in the guide 44.

It will be seen that a fast, efiicient transfer is provided facilitating the packet or bag transfer, prearranging the same for alternate reversal packing in boxes without attention on the part of the operator. The packets are set down through the open top of each of the series of stacker guides and ejected upwardly in a very convenient manner for the operator to remove the now boxed packets in correct amounts ready for closing and conveyance, as opposed to manual transfer and stacking and bottom removal of filled boxes.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what 1 claim is:

1. Stacking apparatus for stacking partially filled fiat packages in an upright open top receiver in a vertical stack of horizontal packages, wherein the packages are reversely positioned alternately, said apparatus comprising a source of said packages, means to advance the packages seriatim in a line,

a package pick up and release head, means on the head to temporarily pick up each package 'at a station ,in the line of packages and to release each package at the upright open top receiver,

means to reciprocate the head between the package line and the open top receiver, and return, and

means to reverse the head substantially 180 as the head is moved between the package line and the receiver, thereby reversing alternate packages in the receiver. 2. The stacking apparatus of claim 1 wherein the head is vacuum operated for picking up and releasing the packages. r '3. The stacking apparatus of claim 1 wherein the head reciprocating means is power operated.

4-. The stacking device of claim 1 wherein the head moving means includes a rod on which the head is mounted, a lever supporting the rod, and means to oscillate the lever, said head oscillating means including control means for the lever to turn the rod to reposition it and the head.

5. The stacking device of claim 4 wherein the control means includes a link pivoted to the lever, said link having a fixed pivot at a point remote from the pivot point of the link and lever.

6. The stacking device of claim 4 wherein the means to oscillate the lever includes a second lever and means to oscillate it, there being a pivot connection between the second lever adjacent an end thereof and the first lever intermediate the ends of the latter.

7. Stacking apparatus comprising means to temporarily secure objects one by one and stack them in an upright open-top receiver,

said receiver comprising a guide arranged to receive the objects therein at the top of the receiver, the objects gradually descending until a predetermined number of objects is in the guide, the latter being capable or receiving at its exterior an inverted opentop box,

and means to raise the objects in a stack into the box and to eject the filled box from the guide at the open top thereof.

8. Stacking apparatus recited in claim 7 wherein the last-named means is power operated.

9. Stacking apparatus of claim 7 wherein the receiver includes a plurality of guides and there being means to index the receiver, the stacking and ejecting actions being at different stations.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,535,031 4/ 1925 Nevins 214- 2,500,819 3/1950 Hall et al. 53-242 X 2,596,339 5/1952 Lufkin 53--162 2,612,737 10/1952 Thielens 53-143 X 3,139,714 7/1964 Hall 53--159 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner -R. L. SPR'UI-LL, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

